Return
by Team Ninja Bug
Summary: Another installment of the Sokudo and Kowai series. Sokudo and Kowai receive a job that'll take them to Sokudo's hometown. Unfortunately, Sokudo's less than thrilled as he tries in vain to avoid his fate. Why is the Ninjask so reluctant to go back?
1. Chapter 1: Objection

**Title: **Return  
**Rating: **T, mostly for Language  
**Genre:** Undecided  
**Summary: **The two ninja bugs have to return to Sokudo's hometown. But why is the Ninjask so reluctant to come back?  
**Author's Comment: **The official story that explores Sokudo's past. It probably won't be as long as _Attract_, but hopefully it's have as much interest. I honestly don't have too much else to say about this one, except to say 'Enjoy!' :D

* * *

Chapter 1: Objection

"Oh, hell no," Sokudo grumbles, a soft hiss beginning to rise from his throat. "Hell no!"

Hovering in front of the Task Board, the Ninjask glares heatedly at the 'MANDATORY' sign over which the task in question is posted under. This task seems very simple: steal some valuable moondust from a Shedinja named Loren. Seems like the perfect assignment for someone like him, where theft is one of his favorite hobbies. Sure he'll have to deal with another Shedinja, but if it's anything like Kowai, he can probably handle it. The problem that has Sokudo so ruffled lays in where this whole thing is located. Mossy Village... How the memories swarm so rudely into his head, fueling his agitation.

Floating beside him is Kowai, silent as it watches its brother fume for reasons unknown. The Ninjask was in such a good mood earlier, letting it have some extra Cuddle Session time and everything. But that changed quickly when they arrived at the board. It doesn't understand why, but it's soon about to find out when Sokudo turns his attention to his leader, said Gabite busily posting up another task paper. Hearing the insect's snarls, the dragon mentally prepares himself for the bombardment guaranteed to come.

"I ain't doing this one, Gunpowder!" he hisses. "You can't pay me enough!"

Taking a breath, it takes a few seconds before Gunpowder turns to his employee. "Ye ain't got no choice, matey," he tells the angry bug. "We be needing some moondust and Mossy Village be the only place to get it."

"Fuck this stupid moondust bullshit!" Sokudo hisses. "Shedinja can make that fuckin' dust, right? Well, here ya go." With that, he shoves Kowai closer, earning a startled chirp from the husk. Hesitating for a second to ponder how it got involved, it turns back to its brother, its voice confused.

"Brother, what's moondust?" it asks.

"Exactly," Gunpowder responds instead. "Not every Shed be able to make the dust, matey. Loren's the only one who can make it, and yer going there and takin' it from 'im."

"Like hell I am!" Sokudo hisses, crossing his arms as his glare flickers back to the board. "Look, if it was any other place, I'll do it. But I'm not setting one claw in that village, so find someone else."

"Again, ye have to do it and it ain't up for debate." Gunpowder says firmly, earning another sharp hiss from the Ninjask. Turning away in fury, it takes a few minutes for the cicada to calm down enough to cast another glance at the task. Then his eyes migrates to the papers Gunpowder's posting and an idea pops into his head.

"How about I do all these other Tasks, and Kowai can do the moondust one!" he says, immediately hearing an anxious whimper from Kowai.

"Brother!" it starts to object. "I don't wanna go there by myself! I don't even know where it is and it's full of strangers!" A soft growl comes from the shed at the thought of all those other strange Pokemon and Sokudo sighs. He should've known better than to think that plan was anything but doomed from the start. Giving a huff of frustration, he again glares at the paper in question, his mind conflicting on what to do. He can't go back, and he'll have to do anything necessary to save himself his fate. Even if that meant-

"Fine, then. If that's the way it's gonna be..." he mutters. "I quit!"

At this, Gunpowder sputters, his eyes wide. He certainly isn't expecting this ultimatum at all and for a moment, he isn't sure how to react. Surely, Sokudo is bluffing as he's made it clear multiple times that this is his dream job, and he can't honestly be willing to end it over some task. But that assumption quickly changes when he sees the Ninjask pull out his Rogue badge and makes a move to throw it on the ground.

"Hold on there, matey," Gunpowder intervenes, holding up his claws to stop the Ninjask. "No need to be so rash..." As much as Sokudo got on his nerves, the ninja is a valuable member of the Guild and few shared as much passion for the job. He can't afford to lose him... Glancing back and forth between the troublesome Task and the one currently held in his claws, he decided that maybe he should do a compromise... "Alright, matey, here's what me be thinkin',"

"I'm listening," Sokudo utters in acknowledgement, his badge still held in his claw.

"If you can do this Task," He waves the paper held in his claw. "Then I'll let ye off the hook."

"Deal," Sokudo makes no hesitation in agreeing, reaching out for the paper only for the dragon to pull it away.

"But," he emphasizes. "only if you and yer brother complete this job. If ya can't, ye gotta go to the Village."

"That's bullshit!" Sokudo hisses, not liking where this is heading at all. Leave it to his leader to pull something like this.

"That's compromise," Gunpowder tells him firmly. "And it be better than nothin', right, matey?"

Growling at the Gabite, Sokudo casts a glance at his silent shed before grumbling incoherent words under his breath. As much as he didn't like it, it is indeed better than nothing and at least he can keep his job. And he has full confidence in completing whatever task this was. He looks to the paper in question, snatching it from his leader's claw before looking it over. "Gambitville, great... Gotta go back to that desert town..." He snorts. "It doesn't even say what I'm supposed to do there."

"That be on purpose, matey," Gunpowder tells him. "Ye need to have another one of them interviews with the mayor before he tells ya anythin'."

"But why interview me again if I already took it?!" Sokudo asks indignantly. "Hell, working there was the first job I had as a Rogue!"

He remembers it clear as day, even though he was still a Nincada when he last visited Gambitville. Sure, the desert was a rather unpleasant place to be, but he remembers having a reasonably good time there. The place was full of criminals and he had gotten into several fights, but it was well worth his while as most of those fights he started. Plus, he certainly left an impression on the mayor during their last interview, what with his little Nincada self making a scene of the whole thing.

At least returning there will relieve him of some of his tension, as well as halt or at least stall his fate. So despite his irritation of him having to retake the interview, he is more than happy to stuff the paper into his bag before pulling out the Travelling Scarf.

"Alright, Gunpowder, I'll be back whenever," He glances a bit at the horizon. "If you don't hear from me or Kowai for a couple of weeks, assume the worse." His tone is practically defeated and he sighs as he ties the scarf around a purring Kowai. Casting a look at his employer as the dragon resumes organizing the tasks, he ignores the frail homing instincts beckoning him towards Mossy Village and instead turns towards the direction of Gambitville.

Checking to make sure Kowai's ready one last time, he takes off.

* * *

"Wow, Gambitville looks even more like shit than usual," Sokudo grumbles as he and Kowai arrive within the old dusty town. It looks almost abandoned, although he can clearly see other Pokemon in their homes. It's almost like they are afraid to come out. He's certain the mayor had something to do with it, what with him being a practical dictator when it comes to the law. He'll probably hang you at the Gallows for sneezing in the wrong direction.

Speaking of the mayor, Sokudo casts a quick glance at Kowai, noting that the Shedinja is already nervous, like it can sense what's to come. Well, the husk will just have to suck it up, because Sokudo's not going to fail this mission just because Kowai's a little fidgety. Taking the other end of the Traveling Scarf, he leads the Shedinja towards the location of the last interview: the courthouse. Looking up at the massive, imposing building, he's about to go in when-

"Brother!" Kowai shrieks in panic and the Ninjask startles before looking over at the shed, expecting danger of some sort. But there's nothing as the Shedinja whimpers loudly, shuddering almost convulsively as it stares at the building. Its voice is panicked and desperate, and Sokudo's certain he hears a small cry coming from it. "Don't go in there, brother! P-please!" It backs away a few feet, pulling the other end of the scarf out of Sokudo's claw. "I-I wanna go home now!"

Sokudo tilts his head in confusion. He expected Kowai to be anxious, but this...? The shed looks close to crying, it's so fearful. Clearing his throat, he looks back at the building's door before shaking his head.

"We have to do this, Kowai," he tells it. "I'm not going back until I finish this job..." He'll be damned if he ever had to go to that stupid Mossy Village. "So man up and let's go." He goes to open the door again when Kowai screams.

"Noooooo! You'll get hurt, brother!" it cries out, earning another cringe from the Ninjask. Taking a breath, Sokudo doesn't even look at it this time.

"It's fine, Kowai," he reassures in an irritated tone. "I've done this before and it's nothing to worry about." He opens the door and sees Kowai retreat even further away, its sobbing choke-like cries echoing through the empty town.

"B-Brother! PLEASE! Let's just g-go home! Go home where we can cuddle... PLEASE!" it pleads desperately, its shuddering body almost causing it to fall to the sandy ground. Hesitating, Sokudo finds himself a bit torn on what to do. Kowai seems more freaked out than usual, but he doesn't want to give up before he even started. Making up his mind, he flies into the building.

"Fine, you can wait out here then." With that, he disappears and Kowai whines even louder. Floating closer, it jolts back frequently as if unable to control itself in its panic. The voices in its head sure isn't helping the situation.

_Go in there_, the calm voice whispers. _You have to protect your brother._

_DON'T YOU DARE GO AN INCH IN THERE!_ the normally savage voice demands in a panic matching Kowai's._ YOU KNOW WHAT'LL HAPPEN IF YOU DO!_

_You have to put your fear aside,_ the other voice insists. _If it's as bad as you think it is, then Sokudo's in danger. You have to protect him._

_FUCK THE NINJASK AND RUN!_

Whimpering as it feels its mind tear in two, it turns back and forth between the door and the horizon leading to home. Crying to itself, its black mist writhes in indecision before Kowai forces its whimpers to stop. Floating inside the building, it decides that it can't let its brother go in there alone.

And frankly it doesn't want to be out here all alone...

"Brother! Wait for me!" it calls out, the Ninjask turning to it as if expecting it. Wasting no time, Kowai hurries to him as fast as it can, pressing itself into him in a cuddle. Sokudo tolerates this for a few seconds before pushing it away, taking its scarf and pulling it after him towards another set of large double-doors. The Ninjask flinches as Kowai lets out another scream, its fear skyrocketing as it fights every instinct of self-preservation.

Opening the door makes it even worse, and Kowai freezes before it practically collapses on the ground with a sound _thump_, as if stunned by its own terror. Looking at it, Sokudo decides that the best thing is to leave it here and he slips through the partially opened door and closes it.

Looking about, he sees that nothing's change since the last time he's been here, a regular-looking courtroom with rows of seats and a tall judge's podium. Scattered here and there are Keystones and one is even settled on the podium. Flying to that particular one, he reached out a claw and taps it firmly.

"Jury! Jury, I know you're in there!" He barks, seemingly talking to the air. "Wake your ass up!"

At first, he gets no response before the markings on the Keystone begins to glow a violent red and Sokudo quickly flies back onto the defendant's chair. A large swirl of energy explodes from the stone, soon taking the form of a Spiritomb. But this individual is quite unlike the norm. Instead of purple or blue, it is a very bright red color, faint hints of purple visible along the jagged edges. Green orbs circle the body in clear agitation before the bright yellow face forms, a frowning glare evident.

And perhaps the most disturbing aspect is the chorus of savage, demonic voices echoing words in the background as the main gravelly voice speaks up. "Who dares break the noon curfew to disrupt our rest!?"

His swirl-shaped pupil settles on Sokudo and the Ninjask hears the chorus shouting for him to be hanged for the disturbance. He tries to hide his intimidation, only his twitching wings giving away his nervousness as he speaks up. "I'm here for an interview. Maybe you remember me?"

The main Spiritomb soul is silent, glaring him up and down as the other spirits muttered incoherently amongst themselves. Finally, after a few moments, Jury gives a soft growl. "We don't recall any Ninjask that's ever visited our town."

"But we have seen a few Nincada," one of the voices pipes up loud enough to be distinguishable. "Perhaps this Ninjask is one of them?"

"Be silent," the main voice barks, his eyes narrowing as Sokudo speaks up.

"Actually, I was one of those Nincada." he tells the ghost.

"Told you!" the other voice says triumphantly and Jury gives a snort before hissing to Sokudo.

"Name?"

"Sokudo."

"Guild?"

"Rogue."

At this, the Spiritomb growls deeply, the orbs spinning around him at an even faster rate. "Yes, we remember you now. You may have denied being a criminal back then, but surely with your Guild that has changed, and we cannot allow criminals to work here."

"There you go again," Sokudo grunts, crossing his arms. "I said it before, I'll say it now: STOP making assumptions based on my Guild! That's prejudice!" He almost allows a smirk to grow on his mandibles. He remembers saying the exact same ridiculous thing on their last meeting, and remembers the resulting look of confusion on the Spiritomb's face before his little Nincada self made a proclamation of how Jury must've been jealous because he's too awesome to handle.

Unfortunately, the ghost doesn't look confused this time as that spiral-shaped pupil bores into him. "Let us see your papers, then."

Sokudo hears the other voices demanding his papers, some even making death threats towards him. Opening his bag and digging through it, he keeps an eye on Jury, noting how the Spiritomb begins glancing towards the door. The Forbidden Pokemon starts giving another low growl, but thankfully, he chooses to stay on topic as Sokudo pulls out his Rogue papers and flies over to place them in front of the mayor. Despite his trouble-making past, he feels very confident showing Jury his papers. After all, although he has done many criminal acts, he has never been caught for any of them, so...

Jury scans his paper intently, as if looking for something specific. Jury grumbles to himself in some conversation Sokudo can't quite make out. Every so often, the Spiritomb will glance at the door, still looking bothered, but still choosing to ignore it for now. Meanwhile, Sokudo just hovers haughtily, waiting for the Spiritomb to approve him. But approval isn't what he gets when Jury glares at him.

"There's another member on your team. Why is he not here?" he asks suspiciously and Sokudo stiffens when the other voices begins calling him out, accusing him of hiding something, of trying to cheat the interview somehow. Gathering his wits quickly, he clears his throat.

"My brother didn't want to come, so-"

"LIES!" Jury interrupts with a shriek, the Ninjask cringing back. "We can feel another presence by the door. You mean to tell us that's not your brother?" the ghost growls. "Because if that's the case, then we can punish the intruder for trespassing."

"No, that's my brother," Sokudo tells the mayor quickly, surprised by how fervently he said it, like he's trying to save Kowai from such a horrific fate. "What I meant was that it doesn't want to come in _here_, 'cause-"

"Nobody's exempt from this interview, Mr. Sokudo," Jury states, his voice calming down in a disconcerting fashion. "Bring your brother in here, or get out of our town."

Taking a breath, Sokudo tries to think of a way around this, but he knows there's no escaping it. Nodding softly, he flies towards the door and opens it, seeing that Kowai has recovered and is now pacing back and forth just beyond the door's threshold. The husk is muttering to itself, obviously debating as to whether it should head inside. However, upon seeing Sokudo come out safe and sound, it practically squeals with relief as it throws itself against him.

"Brother! You're okay!" It whimpers as it snuggles tighter, resisting Sokudo's gentle push to get it away. After a moment, it looks at him. "We can go home now."

"No, Kowai." Sokudo tells it, taking the scarf. Kowai already gets the idea from the gesture alone and it begins to cry again.

"Brother, no! Don't! I don't wanna go in there, please!" it begs as Sokudo begins tugging it towards the courtroom. Sokudo says nothing in response, soon finding himself in a game of tug-of-war as the Shedinja tries to pull away. "NO! PLEASE! BROTHER!"

But Kowai's struggles and protests proves useless as the Ninjask manages to get his shed into the room and closes the door. The shuddering Kowai cries hysterically and one glance at the Spiritomb gets a piercing shriek out of it. Fueled with unimaginable terror, the Shedinja pulls away from its brother so hard that it tears the Travelling Scarf in half, sending both insects stumbling. Kowai quickly recovers however and blindly dashes behind one of the rows to hide, its sobs echoing through the very building's foundations.

"Kowai, come on!" Sokudo hisses firmly, only to be ignored. Looking to Jury to explain this unruly behavior, he freezes when he sees the look on the Spiritomb's face. Something bad's about to happen, he knows it.

Before anything else can be said or done, Jury disappears into his Keystone and Sokudo looks about, wondering just what's going on. His confusion only gets worse when the Keystone closest to Kowai starts to glow and Jury erupts from it to confront the terrified Shedinja. Kowai screams as it jerks around to face him, shuddering convulsively as it backs itself into the wooden seat behind it.

"GO AWAY!" Kowai shrieks, forcing out a defensive hiss. However, its sad attempt to intimidate doesn't work as Jury looms over it, the orbs streaking light around him from spinning so fast.

"How DARE you get within an INCH of OUR fair town, you DISGUSTING creature!" Jury shrieks back. "We will NOT tolerate the likes of YOU here! Polluting our atmosphere with your mere criminal PRESENCE!" The other voices are adding their rage as well, calling for Kowai's death and continuing to berate the husk with threatening and demeaning words.

"GO AWAY!" Kowai repeats desperately, pushing tighter against the seating behind it although it can go no further. "LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Hey!" At once, Sokudo appears in front of Kowai, not wanting to get involved but taking his promise to protect the Shedinja very seriously. He glares at the enraged Spiritomb, feeling Kowai huddle against his back. "What the hell are you doing?! Back off!"

But this does nothing to change Jury's position over them, sneering as he glances between the two bugs. "So you ally yourself with evil? And you wish to work in our town?! You'll be lucky to get the Gallows for such treachery, Ninjask!"

"What treachery?!" Sokudo demands. "You're the one ganging up on my BROTHER! It hasn't done anything to you, so BACK THE FUCK OFF!" He honestly has no idea what's going on here, why there's such hostility between the two. All he knows is that he has to do something about it and quick. Who knows how much paperwork he'll have to do if Kowai dies! "And whaddya mean 'evil'?! Kowai's fucked up, but it's not evil!"

At this, the Spiritomb looks at him dead in the eye, his glare still strong as he studies the Ninjask. "You can't sense it?"

"Well, I'm sensing you being a complete jackass!" Sokudo retorts. "Leave Kowai alone, and let's just finish this fuckin' interview so we can all get the fuck out!"

"The interview's over, Mr. Sokudo," Jury tells him in no uncertain terms. "We will not be hiring criminals in our town and you both are clearly criminals."

"No, I'm not!" Sokudo denies automatically, even though it's the truth. He can't lose this interview, but it seems as though he has no choice in the matter as Jury again speaks up.

"Allying yourself with a criminal is a crime in and of itself," the mayor states firmly. "It would do you two well to get out, before we make a public example of both your executions."

"BULLSHIT! BULLSHITBULLSHITBULLSHIT**BULLSHIT**!" Sokudo exclaims. "You have no proof of Kowai, or more importantly, ME being a criminal! Show me one spot on my fuckin' application where it shows anything like that!"

He's hoping the Spiritomb will comply with that, offer him the chance to get Kowai to safety. But luck just isn't on his side as the Spiritomb's eyes narrows maliciously, the pupil darting to Kowai and a low snarl coming up from the ghost. Kowai automatically gives another defensive hiss and the little Shedinja jolts away when one of the green orbs shoots towards it. Once more giving into self-preservation, Kowai makes a dash for the door with a panicked cry, but it doesn't go far before Jury disappears and reappears from a Keystone just behind it, striking it with a wave of dark energy typical in a Pursuit attack.

Squeaking, Kowai only feels a wash of pain before it falls to the floor, shuddering a bit before falling still.

"Shit!" Sokudo hisses as he flies to his brother, checking the shed for damage before glaring at the mayor, who continues to leer at the fallen husk before growling out his words in a low tone.

"Get. Out. Now!"

The Ninjask cringes, looking back and forth between Kowai, the door, and Jury. He can't believe this is happening. If he can't complete this mission, then he'll have to go back... Maybe he can still salvage this, make it so he can still get this job done, perhaps with a compromise. But he knows it's useless now, and he's certain that if he makes any further objections, he'll be hanged.

Sighing, he gathers up the motionless body of his brother before beating a hasty retreat back to Tao Village.


	2. Chapter 2: Out-Ninja'd

**Author's Comment: **Here's the second chapter of this installment! I'm so happy to get started on this one as I never thought I'd get this far! Special thanks goes to: **Thewinkingme **and **ASiriusWriter**! It's good that at least two of my loyal reviewers have found this story. :3

* * *

Chapter 2: Out-Ninja'd

It had no idea how long it's been out.

Waking up, it stares blearily at the ceiling before groaning a bit, its senses slowly beginning to return in full clarity. This includes pain however, and it whimpers out the only word it can grasp. "Brother...?" It gets no answer and it forces itself to sit up with a grunt, seeing that it's in Sokudo's room, tucked in nicely in his bed. But there's no sign of the Ninjask and Kowai whimpers again. "B... Brother...?"

Again nothing. Maybe he's in another room, and can't hear it. Forcing itself into the air, it wobbles before tumbling back onto the bed, dizzy. And why does it feel like there's something sticking to its face? Slowly, a black tendril explores the sensation to find a piece of paper taped to its forehead. Removing it, Kowai gives another disorientated groan as it attempts to read the letter.

_Dear Kowai,_

_Sorry for not sticking around until you're better. Gunpowder insists that I head off for the job and I wanted to get it done and over with. I paid that cheap bastard Dr. Quaak extra to make house visits to make sure you're okay (you owe me), so if you see the Golduck in our house, don't kill him. Anyway, I'm sure you're alright and will come join me at Mossy Village when you wake up._

_Just in case you choose to stay home though, if it's been a week since writing this, come get me, quickly._

_Sokudo_

Staring at the letter for a little while longer, it looks up at the corner to see when this was written out. A few days ago, it seems. That's too long for its taste... Without hesitation, it places the paper on the bed before making another attempt to float off into the air. It trembles and sways a bit, but manages it before heading to the door. It keeps an eye out for the Golduck, but it doesn't see him anywhere. Good. It's in no condition to chase the intruder out.

Flying out the door, it grunts in pain at the sunlight, despite said sun already starting to set. Wow, that Spiritomb really packed a punch to be affecting it still. It wonders if it'll be able to make the journey at all.

Doesn't matter. Its brother needs it and it needs Sokudo. So focusing on its natural homing instincts, it feels the tug towards the horizon, towards its Ninjask and it shakily begins making the journey all the way to Mossy Village.

* * *

Tonight's the night he's going to get this done.

He's been lingering around the perimeter of Mossy Village for several days now, searching for his target and getting back in touch with the village's lay-out. It's been so long since he's last been here and he remembers almost whimpering to himself when he caught sight of it. It is a humble village in the middle of a forest, home to Bug Pokemon primarily. It consists of several small homes and stores huddled in the center of a massive clearing. Bordering said clearing are many tall trees with yet more homes and markets carved into their trunks. All of them are linked through silk bridges, made by the insect inhabitants themselves.

And in the very center of it all towers a massive statue of an Ariados, the founding father of the village.

It had taken quite a while for Sokudo to get a hold of himself. So many thoughts, so many instincts battled in his mind. But he pushed it all aside, telling himself to focus on his job so he can get out of here as soon as he could.

However, finding his target has been more difficult than he thought. Gunpowder told him that Loren's the last remaining Shedinja in the village, and tends to keep to itself. The Gabite also warned him that the Shedinja will be on high-alert with so many Rogues coming after its moondust, and may put forth the extra effort of making itself scarce. And if it's confronted, Gunpowder emphasizes, the Shedinja usually makes no hesitation in calling for help. So stealth is the way to go in this mission.

But so far, he has yet to even locate the damn thing...

A few times, Sokudo has managed to catch slight glimpses of something vaguely Shedinja-like, but could never get a lock on it. Occasionally, he'll make high-speed sweeps into the village itself, making sure to fly fast enough to be invisible to the residents. Still no sign of Loren.

Tonight will be different though. He can feel it...

Sitting on a high-branch of a tree just outside of Mossy Village, he waits for the sun to finish setting, looking up at the full moon already hanging in the sky. Stretched out before him is a small field of high grass, swaying in waves with the wind. It's soothing, and threatens to lull him to sleep. But he refuses it and busies himself with grooming.

After a few moments however, movement catches his eye and he feels his heart stop not in fear, but in pure relief.

There it is.

Loren is heading right for the center of the field, out in the open. It seems pretty skittish, though, freezing at the smallest sound or movement. As a result, Sokudo falls still and silent, watching his target intently as he's not going to risk losing sight of it. One thing he notices is a difference between this Shedinja and Kowai. For a while, he can't quite put his claw on why this one feels so off, but then it hits him.

It has no black mist emerging from it. Except for the halo, nothing distinguishes it from an everyday discarded husk. Is this Shedinja special? Or is Kowai the one that's different? He doesn't have enough experience with the species to know...

Loren eventually arrives at its destination, hanging motionless in the air as it watches the sun fall below the horizon. Then, looking up at the full moon, the husk makes another check to ensure it's safe before turning its back on the moon.

For a few long moments nothing seems to be happening, and Sokudo's about to risk lunging out when his eyes widen. For sparkles seem to be trailing from the moon's rays towards the Shedinja, flowing in a light, glittering mist into its back. He doesn't want to risk looking too closely, as he'd rather not lose his soul over this job, but he sees a silver light beginning to shine from within the husk. A quick glimpse shows powder forming inside its body.

Moondust.

It takes everything he has not to come speeding out and grabbing a clawful of that dust. He needs to approach this carefully, like a ninja. So he waits, watching the moondust making process with interest. Maybe someday, Kowai can learn to do this and then he can sell the dust and make loads of money off of it. He wonders how long it takes to teach... or is it a natural skill among gifted Shedinja?

Doesn't matter, as Loren casts one last glance before leaving its post towards the village, no doubt heading home.

Carefully, Sokudo moves through the branches of the trees, following the Shedinja all the way back to the village's borders. There, he stations himself in a good vantage spot to watch Loren make a beeline towards a small dome-shaped house. Scanning its surroundings one more time, it seems to glance at his tree and Sokudo freezes, wishing to blend into the night. Luckily, it seems that Loren's none the wiser as it opens the door in a haze of psychic power and heads inside, closing the door behind it.

Sokudo smirks, edging to the end of his branch and gliding soundlessly through the air. Landing delicately on the roof of his target house, he makes the effort to hide in the shadows as much as he can as he scouts for a point of entry. The vents have never let him down in the past and he finds a grate large enough for him to crawl through. Slinking inside, he finds it to be a tight fit and makes no hesitation in heading to the nearest exit grate. Glancing down, he sees no sign of activity in the dark room below and he carefully pulls the grate off before flying free.

Landing on the floor with haste, he doesn't want to risk letting the sound of his wings give him away. Pressing himself into the floor and staying in the shadows of the walls and corners, he explores the home and its lay-out carefully. It's obvious this husk had money, lots of it, but still manages to keep this house looking snug and homely. Creeping up a flight of stairs, he catches a glimpse of silver and silently heads towards it.

A room, with the door slightly ajar, greets him and he carefully peeks inside.

There's Loren, staring motionless out its window, a small tempting amount of moondust visible from its back. He'll have to be careful taking it. One wrong move can get him caught, or worse yet, rip the soul right out of him.

_Just don't look directly at it_, he thinks to himself as he takes every bit of his ninja stealth to slip soundlessly into the room, carefully pulling out a small pouch from his bag. Stalking towards his victim, he hears his heart beating in his ears and pure excitement rush through his veins. He can do this; Loren doesn't even seem to notice him. He'll just scoop out some dust into the pouch and beat it before the shed even knows what happened. Reaching out carefully, he's about to delicately take a clawful of the dust when he notices something odd:

This Shedinja's made of wood!

Before he can fully respond to that realization, he feels the pain of a Silver Wind attack collide with force into his side and he shrieks as he's sent flying, hitting the wall and sliding to the ground...

Almost instantly after that, said ground seems to spring up and scoop him right into the air. It takes a moment for his dazed mind to comprehend that he's caught in a silk net. Blinking, he quickly figures out what has happened...

He's been out-ninja'd, with a decoy technique he himself has utilized several times. But how...?

"So sorry for the rude introduction," comes a soft echoing voice quite unlike any he's used to. He looks over to see a Shedinja, Loren, emerging from the shadows near the ceiling, floating towards him. "But I think you'll find that I don't appreciate intrusion and theft in this humble little adobe."

"The fu..." Sokudo trails off as he begins to struggle, slashing at the net with his claws. But it's useless as the thread doesn't seem fazed by his efforts at all. Must be Ariados webbing, or something. Turning his glaring eyes back to Loren, his words come out in a hiss. "How'd you even know I was in here?"

"I've been playing the ninja game far longer than you, young Ninjask. 300 years of it, to be precise," it tells him. "I can sense your presence and your intentions from a mile away."

"So for the last few days, you knew I was here looking for you." Sokudo growls, feeling duped. He just can't believe he's been beaten at his own game, by a stupid empty bug shell nonetheless! A huge blow to his ego it is. And it only gets worse as the Shedinja confirms his statement, its voice toneless.

"Indeed," it tells him. "And if it were not for my responsibility of making moondust for this village, you still would not have found me. Now about your fate..." Loren begins to circle the trapped Ninjask and Sokudo wonders what this thing will do. If it's anything like Kowai, he's certain he's as good as Soul Food. Well, he had a good run while it lasted...

"If you're gonna take my soul, make it quick," he grumbles at it. "I'd rather not feel any fuckin' pain."

"Take your soul?" The Shedinja seems surprised. "You misunderstand me, Ninjask. I have no intention of ever doing such a thing to you, for the moment at least."

"Then call the cops," Sokudo snaps at it, feeling as though he's being toyed with.

Loren only stares at him for a moment before turning away a bit. The Ninjask cringes, but the husk makes no further move to complete the turn to expose its back. He doesn't know whether to be relieved or not. "I won't bother wasting my time with that. I know how your kind functions and I'm well-aware of how useless such a move will be."

"Then what're you going to do, ya bitch?!" Sokudo snarls, beginning to struggle against the net once more. "Let me go!"

At this, the Shedinja mimics the sound of a sigh, watching his thrashes for a moment before speaking with a pitying tone that makes him angrier. "Such a fiery spirit, so typical of a Rogue. It's a shame such potential is being misused in such a way."

"Don't you judge me, you freak," Sokudo growls, his glare intensifying. "Let me go, before my brother comes and kicks your ass!" He knows he's mostly bluffing with this. Kowai is probably still unconscious and who knows how long it'll take before it comes to his rescue. And even if it does arrive in the nick of time, it's never seen another Shedinja before and its reaction may not work in his favor.

Regardless, Loren doesn't seem bothered as it pulls out some papers seemingly out of nowhere, and it takes a moment for Sokudo to see what it is: his Rogue paperwork. His eyes widening, Sokudo quickly rummages through his bag to find his papers missing. How in the hell...?

"Sokudo," Loren mutters. "You've been with your Guild since you were a Nincada. But perhaps there's still room for change."

"What're you talking about?" Sokudo barks with irritation, making a few more thrashes against the net. The Shedinja is silent for a moment as it reads through his papers. Finally, it turns back to him and speaks in a gentle voice.

"You wish to have some of my moondust, and I'll be willing to give it to you, but only for a price." Loren tells him, causing the Ninjask to freeze his struggles and blink. Narrowing his eyes suspiciously, he forces a growl even as he relents.

"How much do you want, you stingy bastard?" he asks begrudgingly, not liking to spend money on this stupid job. Seeing the value of the dust and how rich the Shedinja already is, it's probably going to demand a high price to feed its greed. So it surprises him when the Shedinja lets out a bemused chuckle.

"Kehkehkehkeh," it clicks. "How you Rogues are so quick to assume. I have no wish for money, young Ninjask. My price is not so selfish in nature." It begins to circle him again, Sokudo shifting in his prison to keep it in his sight lest it unexpectedly lashes out at him. "Your Guild are not the only ones after my moondust. The Rescuers wish to have it as well, but they're taking a wholly different approach..."

Sokudo does not like where this is going.

"They're doing community service for the village, putting in hard honest work to get their rewards." It turns back to him. "You're going to follow their example, young Ninjask. And you're going to earn your right to obtain moondust by helping my village. Understand?"

"Oh hell no!" Sokudo objects with a bitter hiss. "I'm no goodie-goodie _Rescuer_," He spits the word with venom. "I'm a Rogue through and through, and a hollow piece of shit like you is never going to change it."

"You want moondust, do you not?" Loren responds, Sokudo stiffening at this point. "You can either accept my terms, and do community service in exchange for the dust. If not, then you can stay in that net until you do."

"You can't do that!" Sokudo shrieks, making an attempt to slash the Shedinja, only for his claw to snag the net instead.

"Can I not?" Loren says, its voice once more toneless. "You trespassed in my home to rob me of my most valuable possession. We both know what kind of punishment I can give to you, and I do believe you wouldn't want to go that route."

Sokudo keeps himself from swallowing, knowing the Shedinja's right. He intruded its territory, and a predatory creature like itself has a right to feast on his soul should it desire to. His objections to working for the moondust isn't worth his life. Growling a bit as he slumps, he averts his eyes with a grumble, giving in to Loren's terms. His wings twitch in irritation as the Shedinja purrs, the husk turning away to float out the room.

"Rest up, young Ninjask. You've got a busy day ahead of you come morning."

With that, it closes the door, leaving Sokudo to fume at this turn of events.


	3. Chapter 3: Resistance Is Futile

**Author's Comment: **Yeah, this took WAAAAY longer than the last chapter. That's what happens when I get a hold of Pokemon X! Instead of writing about Sokudo and Kowai, I spent the last week or so petting and playing with them with Pokemon Amie (That's right, I named my Ninjask and Shedinja after them)! X3 But I have been working on this chapter bit by bit in the meantime, so here it finally is! Special reviewer thanks goes to: **Thewinkingme**! And thanks to everyone in general for being so patient. I'm sure you guys understand!

* * *

Chapter 3: Resistance Is Futile

To say last night was a rough one is a big understatement.

Groaning as his eyes flutters open, it takes a moment for him to remember where he is. Why does his room look so different? Why does his bed feel so uncomfortable? And since when did his left wing feel so painful?

"Ah, so you're awake." comes a soft voice and Sokudo groggily looks towards it, seeing a Shedinja looking at him by the window. Since when did Kowai sound so different? And why is there an obnoxious net obstructing his view?

"Wha...?" Finally it all comes back to him in a flood and his heart stops. "Oh, shit..." Growling as all his lingering sleepiness fades away to be replaced with hatred, he tries to struggle, his efforts noticeably drained. He's been fighting to escape his prison for a good portion of the night and he just can't put his all into it anymore. It doesn't help that he injured his wing in the process. Glaring seethingly as Loren floats over, he makes another useless swipe at the husk before falling still when it speaks up.

"I trust you remember our agreement last night?" it asks calmly. "Hopefully, you're rested enough to get to work?"

"Fuck you," Sokudo snaps softly, leering at the other bug before grumbling to himself. Despite his words of hostility, he looks away seemingly in acceptance, his mind swimming. He has to get out of here, and maybe, just maybe... If he were to pretend...

Falling silent and compliant as the Shedinja floats higher, he watches as the husk cuts the line connecting the net to the ceiling and he braces himself for impact with the ground. But he feels weightless as Loren's psychic energy lowers him gently to the floor before carefully pulling the net apart in an effortlessness that pisses Sokudo off. The Ninjask takes a smooth breath, not to calm his anger, but to prepare for his next move. His wing's hurting, but he's sure he can handle it.

Just needs the right moment...

As soon as he feels the net release him, he gathers his strength in a flash of white light and charges at the Shedinja with an Aerial Ace. He feels contact with the husk and his heart leaps when Loren's thrown back against the opposite wall. Smirking, he prepares to push through his pain to grab some moondust and run, when his eyes widens.

Loren hasn't gone unconscious! But he hit it, without any interference of a Protect! It doesn't make sense!

It takes a second for Sokudo to comprehend this, to comprehend the now fading ghostly energy that has coated the shell. For a moment, he's speechless before a sputter comes from his mouth. "Bu... How..."

"Endure," Loren responds calmly despite what the Ninjask has done. "Did you really believe I would leave myself so vulnerable?" It mimics another sigh. "It does pain me to do this, but I believe it's for the best."

A silver powder comes from its wings before a strong wind kicks up right for Sokudo in a Silver Wind attack and the Ninjask barely manages to snap out of it just in time to fly out of the way. Taking another shot for Aerial Ace, he growls as Loren reacts with another Endure and he curses his injured wing for slowing him down so much. Maybe once more...

But before he can gather his energy again, Loren's halo flashes with a blinding light and Sokudo hisses as he's forced to turn away and cover his eyes. He can see spots even behind his eyelids and they continue to persist when he reopens his eyes to look around. But those spots no longer matter when he sees that Loren is nowhere in sight. Tensing automatically, he blinks the spots away and looks about for the shell, to find absolutely nothing. His ninja instincts raise a red flag, but it's too late when he feels a sharp pain erupt from the base of his injured wing.

Crying out, he feels his wing stop beating altogether and he collapses down onto the floor, Loren having him tightly in its surprisingly powerful jaws. Growling, he tries desperately to shove the Shedinja off, wincing as more pain travels in sharp stabs up his thorax from his wing. Struggling harder, he almost doesn't notice a liquid seep from the bite into his body. Panicked, he thrashes even more recklessly for a second before another pain causes him to cry out. But the torment no longer comes from his wings, but deep within and he can't keep back a whimper.

Finally Loren lets go and backs away, watching Sokudo's struggles to stand and continue the confrontation. But the Ninjask can't get far, the agony getting too much to handle as he crumples and curls up into himself in an attempt to cope. He hasn't felt this much pain since Kowai 'punished' him for trying to abandon it. He's almost unable to focus to Loren's words, spoken in an apologetic tone.

"How I regret this," it mutters. "I genuinely didn't want to resort to using Toxic on you, young Ninjask, but if it's the only way to get you to comply..." It trails off as it flies over to his now-shuddering form. "I have the antidote, Sokudo, and I'll be more than happy to give it to you if you agree to cooperate."

"Sick b-bastard..." Sokudo forces out a hiss from under his breath, convinced the husk is taunting him at this point. Shedinja are all the same, he decides. Nothing but evil sadists always wanting to cause him pain and give him ultimatums as 'choices'.

"Please, Sokudo, I don't wish for it to end this way," Loren tells him. "With your metabolism, it'll only take five to ten more minutes before you go unconscious and die. Plenty of time for you to give your word to help my village." Its voice lowers even more, and takes on a tone one would use with a child. "It's not a difficult choice, young Ninjask. Just say 'yes', and the pain will stop."

"Fuck y..." Sokudo can't even finish his retort, the pain growing even more and his vision starting to grow hazy along the edges. Loren's right; it's not a difficult decision and he cringes as he forces a soft nod through his pride. He sees Loren quickly fly out the room and his eyes lock onto the window, beckoning for him to escape while he can. But he can't, as he can't even uncurl his shivering form to move, his limbs locked in place against his body. The blurriness edging his vision is turning into blackness and he closes his eyes tight to avoid seeing his oncoming death.

He has no idea how much time has passed, every second felt like hours with all this pain. But eventually, he feels something press against his mandibles, a cold liquid lapping against his mouth. He almost doesn't have any strength left to drink it, wincing automatically although the antidote doesn't taste bad at all. In fact, it tastes very sweet and fruity and it encourages him gulp it down more easily.

Finishing as much as the antidote as he can, he feels it starting to work almost immediately, the pain beginning to subside bit by bit. His breaths start returning to normal and his shudders begin easing off. After another moment, he can move his limbs again and he gathers his strength to pull himself up onto his claws. He stumbles a bit and growls when he feels Loren trying to support him. Pulling away, he stabilizes himself on his own before looking to his injured wing. He can see a deep bite mark around the base of his wing and knows he won't be able to fly away anytime soon.

Glaring at the Shedinja heatedly, he forces out a hateful hiss to communicate his feelings even as he speaks in a relenting tone. "So... what do you want me to do...?" It takes everything he has not to snap at it completely, lest it ends in another Toxic-filled Bug Bite. The Shedinja watches him for a few seconds, feeling pity for the weakened insect.

"You should tend to your injuries and rest for a wh-"

"No!" Sokudo interrupts, his anger and pain beginning to drive him over the edge. "We're just going to get this done and over with, you... you... Ugh!" He can't even get himself to cuss this thing out anymore, and settles on hissing at it instead. Turning away, he begins stumbling towards the door, Loren slowly following the Ninjask. It concerns it that Sokudo is pushing himself too much, but it understands that the cicada isn't going to listen. So it pulls ahead to lead him towards the house's exit, Sokudo grumbling the whole way and wincing when they step outside, the light almost blinding him.

Turning to Loren, he leans back on his hind legs and abdomen to cross his arms pointedly, his words come out in a bitter sneer. "I hope you're happy about this," he spits. "I don't even want your fuckin' moonshit anymore. And if it wasn't for the fact that you almost bit my wing off, I'd be gone right now!"

"I wouldn't be so sure of that, young Ninjask," Loren starts calmly, not letting Sokudo's hostility get to it. "Even if I hadn't injured your wing, your escape is not something I would allow."

At this, Sokudo gives a contemptuous scoff. "And what makes you think you would actually be able to stop me, ya slow-ass fuck?"

"You have your speed, for sure, but you forget that there are plenty of Ninjask in this village," the Shedinja tells him. "One word from me, and they can bring you right back to where you started."

"Why?!" Sokudo barks, flaring his good wing in a further show of defiance. "You already won, you already beat me! Why keep me here if I didn't steal anything?! This is just pointless punishment to feed your sadistic ego! Just let me go and I'll be more than happy NEVER to come back!"

Silence comes for a minute, Loren just staring at him before clicking softly. "It's a shame how quick you are to label me as sadistic. I take no pleasure in any of this, and only wish to teach you. So don't see this as a punishment, young Ninjask. Look at it as a new learning experience." It turns away. "Now that's enough of hypothetical situations, and needless argument. Until your wing heals, and I feel you've earned your freedom, you'll be in my care for the next few days. Come."

Loren begins floating off and Sokudo stays rooted where he is for another moment, glaring at the Shedinja and the surrounding houses around him before reluctantly stumbling after the husk. Wincing heavily as his wings automatically try to get him airborne, he keeps his eyes focused on the ground, trying to ignore the other Bug Pokemon fluttering by over him. How he hates this, hates this place, hates this empty bug shell!

Arriving to their destination, Loren turns to Sokudo as the Ninjask catches up with clumsy strides. "Here's your first task of the day, young Ninjask," the husk tells him, having led him to a bare patch of earth, a single Ivysaur with a straw hat tenderly planting some large seeds. "Jacques."

Hearing his name, the Ivysaur looks over at the two bugs before ambling over hurriedly. Smiling brightly, Jacques expression quickly falls at seeing Sokudo's hateful glare and he clears his throat as he looks up at Loren, attempting to ignore the tense atmosphere. "Good morning, Mr. Loren. You need anything?"

"Indeed I do, young Jacques," Loren tells him before urging Sokudo forward, earning a loud snarl that startles the Grass-type. Sokudo pulls away, his growls lowering to grumbles as he shifts his weight a bit in blatant discontent. Sighing, the Shedinja explains the situation softly to its associate. "This is Sokudo, a newcomer to our village. He's going to do some community service, and I'd like him to start here with you. Is that alright?"

"Um," Jacques drawls a bit, glancing at the Ninjask and his contemptuous scowl. Peering back at the patch of dirt, he takes a breath and nods. "Sure. Makes for lighter work, I guess."

"Thank you," Loren mutters before glancing at the other insect. "Keep an eye on him and don't push him too hard. He can't fly and I'm certain he's still feeling the effects of the scuffle we had earlier."

"Stop treating me like I'm some weak-ass shit!" Sokudo snaps once more. "I don't need you talking down about me, and I certainly don't need some dumbass weed telling me what to do!" Glaring at Jacques as an outlet of his aggression, he gives them no further time to react before he pushes passed the Ivysaur, sitting himself at the center of the garden-in-progress with his back turned to them.

Cursing under his breath, never had he wished to go back home so fervently. He knew coming here was going to be bad, yes, but even he couldn't predict what's been happening since last night. He could be home right now, curled up on the couch, drinking tree sap and warding off Kowai's annoying advances. Closing his eyes, he takes a deep breath to calm as much as he can given the circumstance before glaring out to the horizon leading home.

"Can't believe I'm saying this," he whispers softly to himself. "But... Kowai, please hurry up and save my ass..."

* * *

"Oh, brother..." Kowai whispers softly to itself, following the most direct path to Sokudo with noticeable urgency, as if it can sense the trouble he's in. Perhaps it's simple paranoia, but it can feel it. Something's not right, and it must have something to do with Sokudo!

Mossy Village is much farther away than it thought, having traveled the entire night and seemingly getting nowhere. Then again, it's never strayed too far from Tao Village without its brother speeding up the way with the Traveling Scarf, and maybe it's own natural slowness is making it seem far. But at least it's recovered a good portion of its strength back, the souls of many unfortunate Pokemon helping to make that happen. And Kowai is using every bit of that strength to hurry along as fast as it can.

Something else feels off though, especially since this morning. It's found itself in thick forests, and every once in a while it would hear a rustle from the treetops above. It has tried to focus on identifying this disturbance a couple of times, but there's so many other Pokemon around, so it's hard to pinpoint. Probably just its paranoia again, but it swears it's being watched...

Who cares, it needs to find Sokudo. It's waaaaay overdue for its next Cuddle Session. Hopefully Sokudo will feel appreciative enough to let it cuddle extra, make up for lost time. Maybe even let it groom him, or vice versa! The very thought keeps it going despite its growing weariness.

There's that rustle again, this time accompanied by a loud droning sound zipping past it. Freezing with a hiss, it waits for a second for something else to happen before continuing on hesitantly. But it doesn't go far before the drone zips passed it again. And again. And again! It even feels a soft brush against its wing on that last one.

Yup, that did it. Screeching loudly, it launches Shadow Balls all over the canopy above, forcing many Bird Pokemon to flee. And after a few blind shots aiming at nothing in particular, it hits something seemingly out of thin air.

With a grunt, another Bug Pokemon hits the ground, shaking as it tries to catch its breath. Glaring at the intruder, Kowai knows instantly that this is the source of the persistent droning: a Ninjask.

But wait, something seems very off about this one. It seems very familiar, and Kowai hesitates when it floats a bit closer. "Brother?"

The Ninjask stands onto its claws and Kowai instantly knows that this isn't its brother, for the other bug is female, with a mother-of-pearl decorating the black scarf covering her face in a typical ninja mask. But why does this female, or moreso her energy, her scent, seem so much like Sokudo? Maybe it's the mother-of-pearl, or maybe... Confused, it reacts by backing away and keeping its distance, growling at the stranger that's not a stranger.

Shaking herself off to fully recover, the Ninjask stares at Kowai for a long moment before speaking up softly, with a hopeful yet cautious tone.

"S... Sokudo...?"


	4. Chapter 4: Ninika

**Author's Comment: **Gah, I'm so sorry! I did it again! I took forever updating! Between work, drawing DA pictures, writing out another story, and playing Pokemon, it's been busy as of late. But like last time, I worked on this chapter bit by bit throughout it all! Again, thanks for the patience and I shall try harder to put out chapters faster! Special reviewer thanks goes to the one and only, **Thewinkingme**!

* * *

Chapter 4: Ninika

There're so many things in this world that confuses little Kowai to no end and this is one of them.

Staring at the female Ninjask, it feels its growls falter and it begins to whimper in a noticeably frightened tone. The mystery bug looks about quickly, as if looking for something, before focusing back on Kowai and taking a few steps closer. She flinches when the Shedinja screams, throwing itself back against a tree. So many things are rushing through its head and it can only manage to ask one of its various questions.

"HOW DO YOU KNOW MY BROTHER?!" Kowai shrieks, its panic growing.

Despite such an extreme reaction, the Ninjask's eyes glow with a smile, a relieved tone taking over her soft voice. "Oh, oh, thank goodness. I... You... He_ is_ your brother..." She seems close to tears and Kowai feels its confusion rise, as well as feeling a spark of frustration.

"ANSWER ME!" it screeches. "HOW DO YOU KNOW MY BROTHER?! WHO ARE YOU?!"

It takes a moment for the Ninjask to answer, beginning to cry in happiness. Trying to keep her body from shuddering and her voice steady, she fails in that completely and her words come out in a shaking whimper. "M-My name's Ninika..." She sniffles and looks Kowai with glistening eyes. "I-I'm Sokudo's mother... I'm _your_ mother..."

Kowai freezes, falling completely silent at this. Staring at the other bug, it has no idea how to react, what it should do. Never once did it ever think it would have a mother, Sokudo being the only family it's ever known. And now, this is happening. Taking a moment to grasp this, to let it sink in, the husk slowly pulls away from the tree, approaching Ninika inch by inch. A soft squeak begins to emerge from its throat and it too begins feeling its body shudder.

"M... Mother...?" it mutters, earning another nod. It almost doesn't believe her, but all the signs point to her telling the truth. A whimper chokes from it and it can no longer help itself. Throwing itself against her with a squeal, it feels her arms wrap around it and it melts in her warmth and scent. There's a definite hint of its brother in this Ninjask's scent and that encourages it to cuddle as tightly as it can. It feels Ninika, its mother, nuzzle into its neck, reveling in its scent as well.

"You... you're okay... I... I never thought I'd ever... ever..." She trails off, just immersing herself in the moment before continuing. "Wh-what's your name, baby?"

"Kowai," the little shed responds, still snuggling with a coo. "My brother named me. Do you like it, Mama?"

"Kowai..." she repeats with a soft laugh, before beginning to pull away a bit. Kowai whimpers at this, but starts to purr when Ninika pets its cheek soothingly. "My little Kowai. Let me get a good look at you, sweetie."

Kowai coos and purrs some more as its mother casts her eyes over it again and again. To her relief, she sees that Kowai is a healthy husk with its halo nice and bright, although the scars on its wings and the healed wounds on its body does bring up some concern.

"You weren't shed with these wounds, were you?" she can't help but ask.

"No," Kowai answers. "The scars on my wings came from a tree, and I was bitten by a Mightyena a while ago. But I'm okay."

"That's good..." Ninika whispers, looking it over again before staring in confusion at its black mist. She's met many Shedinja in her life and none had this strange feature. "What's this...?" she asks, reaching out to poke the mist and shivering when a thin tendril wraps around her claw.

"Oh, um..." Kowai falls silent for a moment to think before muttering its answer as vaguely as possible. "That's just there... Don't worry about it, Mama." It sees her about to question further, but luckily the cicada changes her mind and shakes her head.

"Okay, baby," Ninika replies, taking some assurance by Kowai's lack of concern. For a second, she was worried the mist was some spiritual parasite or something... She certainly doesn't want one of her babies in that kind of trouble. Speaking of which, she looks about again, before finally asking the question that's been haunting her. "Where's Sokudo?"

At this, Kowai falls silent again and she feels her heart skip a beat. Already, she can imagine all sorts of horrible things happening to her son and she almost starts crying again when the Shedinja answers uncertainly.

"He went to a place called Mossy Village," it starts. "He left a few days ago and hasn't come back... I... I have this feeling that... that something's happened..." It starts to whimper at the thought, sharing its mother's growing distress. "I... But I'm tracking him down right now."

"My baby..." she chokes a bit on her tears. "We have to find him. If he made it to Mossy Village, then he's close by. I can take us there quickly, but..." Sniffling, she wipes her eyes a bit before looking Kowai in the eye. "But when we get there, can you lead me to him?"

Kowai pauses for only a second, a little spark of instinct denying her request. If she was anybody else, it wouldn't have any qualms with snapping at her before attempting to kill her for daring to ask such a thing. But this time, it cuddles back into her, humming softly. "Yes."

* * *

"UGH! THIS IS THE BIGGEST WASTE OF FUCKIN' TIME EVER!"

The loud shriek echoes through the entire village, scaring the living daylights out of any who heard it. Sokudo continues shrieking his frustrations, clawing at the ground beneath him in a rage. He's been fuming to himself for hours now as he worked. His claws hurt, his wings hurt, and he's very unkempt, covered from head to toe in dirt, and this only adds to his anger. Next to him, Jacques cringes at every outburst, staring and uncertain of what to do. The Ninjask just spontaneously exploded after a long stretch of silence, whilst tucking a seed into its designated spot.

Now that seed is being lashed out on as Sokudo jumps on it and tears it apart, much to the Ivysaur's horror.

"Sokudo, don't!" he cries out, hurrying over to the Ninjask and pulling him away with a vine. "We need that seed! Stop i- OW!"

Jacques jolts back, holding his vine close before looking at the bite mark Sokudo left on it. Licking it gently, he gasps as his eyes flickers back to Sokudo to see him lashing out at the rest of the seeds. Looking about desperately, he takes a breath and calls out as loudly as he can. "MR. LOREN! HELP!"

"GO AHEAD!" Sokudo shouts at him in response, flaring his good wing at the Grass-type. "CALL IN THAT ASSHOLE! I'LL TEAR HIM A FUCKIN' NEW ONE!"

"Calm down, man," Jacques tells him. "There's no need to be so angry!"

"FUCK YOU!" Sokudo screeches, unable to control his rage any longer. "FUCK YOU, FUCK THIS PLACE! I CAN'T TAKE IT ANYMORE!" He throws down the seed he's currently holding to the ground and starts storming off. "I'M GETTING THE **FUCK** OUTTA HERE, YA BASTARD!"

Not sure of what else to do, Jacques takes aim and launched a Leech Seed at the rampaging Ninjask. Snarling, Sokudo feels the seed latching itself to his head and almost immediately, it restrains him in a tangle of vines. "LEMME GO!" He struggles for a moment before he cries out, feeling the plant sapping the strength right out of him. Gasping, he crumples, his rage growing as he's getting plenty sick of always being rendered helpless like this. Maybe he really should've quit his job when he had the chance, at least then he wouldn't be in this predicament...

"BROTHER!"

Never in the entire world did he ever think that he'd be glad to hear that annoying, ear-shattering screech. Gathering what strength he had left to squirm, he manages to turn towards the husk as it rushes towards him, its black mist surging forward to pull the vines off of him.

"Kowai!" he exclaims with the most gleeful sounding voice he's ever used in correlation to his brother. "About time you arrived, you little fucker!"

Kowai doesn't respond, freeing him of the majority of the vines before turning to Jacques with a snarl. "HOW DARE YOU HURT MY BROTHER!" Lunging for the Ivysaur, it barely misses a Shadow Claw to the throat, shrieking angrily as it tries again. But someone pulls it back and it struggles against the hold. "LEMME GO! HE HURT MY BROTHER!"

"Kowai, please," Ninika tries to soothe the shed. "He's a friend, you mustn't hurt him!"

"Yeah, what she said!" Jacques exclaims in panic, gaining further relief when another bug arrives hurriedly at the scene.

"What's going on here?" Loren asks, staring at the chaotic situation before it. Catching sight of the older Shedinja, Kowai freezes and goes silent, Ninika petting its head whilst whispering reassurances into its ear. Meanwhile, Sokudo pulls off the rest of the vines before glaring heatedly at Loren.

"I warned you, didn't I?!" he hisses. "I told you my brother would come rescue me! Kick its ass, Kowai!" But he hesitates when Kowai doesn't respond and all seems calm for a moment. "Kowai...?" His heart almost stops, worrying that his brother will turn on him in favor of its own kind. But thankfully, it's a false alarm as Kowai yanks itself from the random Ninjask's hold and throws itself against him, almost knocking him over.

"YOU! YOUYOUYOUYOU**YOU**!" it snarls. "You STAY AWAY FROM MY BROTHER!" It begins to truly sound demonic as it wraps its black mist around Sokudo possessively, almost choking the ninja from holding him too tightly. "You're _not_ stealing my brother... He's mine, and mine alone. So GO AWAY!"

Loren respectively keeps its distance, not wanting to impede on the over-protective husk. Although this is a typical reaction of two Shedinja meeting in the presence of a Ninjask, what isn't typical is the extreme nature of this young one. It looks close to ripping it to shreds just for being in the same airspace as its Ninjask. Hopefully, it's not blinded with hate and will listen to reason. "I have no wish to take your brother from you. I merely-"

"No, shut up!" Kowai snaps. "JUST LEAVE!"

"Kowai," Ninika chimes in, her soothing voice calming the angry Shedinja just a little bit. Holding the husk in a tight, comforting hug, she shushes it gently before muttering softly. "It's okay, it's alright, baby. He's another friend, a key figure in the village."

"But Sokudo..." Kowai growls, never taking its eyes off the other husk.

"He's not going to take your brother away, sweetie," she reassures. "I trust him with my life, and you can trust him too, Kowai."

"No..." Kowai grunts. "I trust nobody but brother... and you..." It gives a snort. "Just get him away..."

Sighing softly, Ninika keeps holding the shell as she looks to the elder insect. "Mr. Loren, if you please...?"

"Of course," Loren complies, returning the female Ninjask's trust with its own. Casting a glance at Jacques, Loren quickly makes itself scarce further into the village. Jacques clears his throat a bit, before following after the retreating Shedinja to save himself any further incidents. He's not being paid enough to deal with demented husks and hot-headed cicadas all day...

Sighing again in relief this time, Ninika purrs to Kowai, giving it a few more pets before pulling away. Turning to Sokudo, her heart soars as she beholds her long-lost son.

Sokudo certainly hasn't paid too much attention to the identity of the other Ninjask, so caught up he was in the action. And now that that action was over, -for the moment at least-, he can carry out the important duty of confronting the other bug. Turning to her in a glare, he already starts his words in a hostile tone. "Now who the hell are y..." But he then trails off as his eyes widen, his mouth gaping open in pure disbelief.

Tears start to flow down Ninika's cheeks, beginning to soak her silk mask as her eyes scans the other cicada. Flying closer, she lands beside Sokudo and starts to purr to him. "Sokudo..." She mutters, placing a claw on his cheek. "My sweet, sweet Sokudo..."

"M..." His voice chokes, his face still conveying his shock as he stares back at the older Ninjask. "Mom...?"

Giving a soft laugh through her tears, she nods softly before pulling him into a hug. "My baby..." Beginning to sob softly, she buries her face into her son, her body wracked with shudders. Blinking as he begins easing out of his stunned state, Sokudo feels a sharp sting in his eyes and his breaths begins to hitch a bit. Glancing at the purring Kowai floating nearby, he clamps his eyes closed as he tries his hardest to keep his emotions in check. But it's not working as he feels a soft drop of water tickle down his cheek.

Immediately, Sokudo pushes his mother away before turning and running away as fast as he can...


End file.
